Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), won a primary on Jeju Island and the western port city of Incheon for party leader Saturday, as he eyes to secure a second term.

In June, Lee resigned to run for reelection as the current party rule stipulates the party chair must resign from his leadership position to be eligible as a candidate.

During Saturday’s primary, the first of the 15-leg race across the country, Lee won 90.7 percent of combined ballots cast by registered party members on Jeju Island and in Incheon, followed by former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan with 8 percent and another candidate Kim Ji-soo at 1.3 percent.

The DP is scheduled to elect a new leader during a national convention on Aug. 18 by factoring in the results of the primaries, a survey on the general public and online polls by party representatives.

Lee is widely expected to win his second term and is considered a leading candidate for the liberal party for the next presidential election in
2027, though he is at the heart of several scandals, including a land development scandal in Seongnam, south of Seoul.

In January, he was stabbed in the neck while visiting the southeastern port city of Busan.

Source: Yonhap News Agency